Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was blessed with a baby girl on November 16 last year. Photo credit: Abaca/Barcroft India

Aishwarya, who is facing a lot of flak for her post pregnancy figure, said that weight gain is absolutely fine with her as she does ...

After evading the arclights for almost nine months, Aishwarya Rai has faced the camera for the first time post delivery. Under the scanner for a drastic weight gain, Ash's latest avatar stuns one and all. The actress last shot for an ad when she was 6-months pregnant.

Shrikumar, who shot the commercial for Kalyan Jewellers told a daily, "This is my first ad with Ash. What impressed me about her was a passion for detailing."

Kalyan Jewellers posted Ash's pics from the campaign on their Facebook page.

Though many fans left adulatory comments on Kalyan Jewellers' Facebook page, one can't help but wonder if this is really a new shoot. Last one saw Aishwarya was at Cannes in May this year and she still looked... well not thin.

Within three months it looks nothing short of miracle for Aishwarya to have trimmed and slimmed to such an astonishing degree!

Anyway, sample some of the comments people left on the pic:

Zainab Chan: AISHWARYA!!!!!! Very beautiful!! It remind me of her modelling days..She's getting better & better.. Miss her so much!! So happy to see her back to action :D

Ash Orannaise: So beautiful welcome back diva we miss you

Rehana Patel: Beautiful looking great Aishwarya! Hoping to see a lot more of you on our screens, welcome back :D

Michelle Lee: Good to have her back

Nitish S Murthy: So nice to see her back at work!!

Ramya Rao: Aishwarya is the best brand ambassador KALYAN JEWELLERS could have ever asked for!!! Make the most use of her international popularity!!!

Incidentally, Amitabh Bachchan has also promoted the same brand in the past.

BUT SHE 'CAN'NES DO IT...The diva dazzled in Cannes Film Festival recently. The actress looked graceful as she attended the AmfAR Cinema Against Aids gala in Cannes wearing a Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla emsemble. The diva graced the film festival for the 11th time.

Though the actor was criticised for her weight gain post motherhood, Aishwarya managed to look gorgeous, thanks to her sartorial choice. Her hairdo was just right for her outfit. PIC INSIDE

RETURN OF DIVA: Aishwarya Rai makes a style statement at Cannes Film Festival

HATERS DON'T MATTER: ASHThe actress while speaking to the media at Cannes Film Festival revealed that she doesn't care about 'haters' as they are like a drop in the ocean of people who love and care for her. The diva added that weight gain is absolutely fine with her as she never endorsed size zero.

"I've always said that haters are a drop in the ocean. There's that much more love. Any kind of negativity in any case just doesn't stick, it drops off and it doesn't matter. People have given me so much love throughout my career, my life in the public eye, at every phase," the actress had said.

"This is who I am. I am a mother. This can happen and it has happened with me and it's fine (weight gain). I've never been the one who endorse size zero anyway. You guys speculated I was pregnant way before I actually was. It goes to show that I have lived real life in the public eye. That continues," she added. CANNES DIARY

WEIGHT GAIN CONTROVERSYA photograph of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan with double chin sparked outrage. Former Miss World and Bollywood star Aishwarya was criticised by followers who suggested that she should have lost her baby weight following the birth of her daughter.

Commentators have been unkind, lambasting the star for letting her fans down. Many have gone a step further, suggesting the star has a ‘duty’ to her fans to regain her pre-pregnancy figure.

One website posted a video of the star looking less than her usual svelte self, flicking between photographs of her pre-birth, and photos now. Called ‘Aishwarya Rai’s shocking weight gain’, the clip, which came accompanied by elephant sound effects, has been seen more than 500,000 times.

Dozens of similar videos have been posted, each with viewing figures in the tens or hundreds of thousands. Comments left after the video proves that many of those watching have little sympathy for Aishwarya.

“She is a Bollywood actress and it is her duty to look good and fit,” the Daily Mail quoted one comment.

“She needs to learn from people like Victoria Beckham who are back to size zero weeks after their delivery,” another said.

It has opened up a debate in the country, and beyond, about the attitudes held towards women in the public eye. Some unkind fans have compared Aishwarya to Victoria Beckham, saying she should lose weight as quickly as Victoria did after her four pregnancies.

“Aishwarya is like a goddess,” said show business columnist Shobhaa De in the New York Daily News by way of explanation. MORE INSIDE